Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 627,989. Pafented July 4, I899.

' n. F. DULL.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

' (Application filed Apr. 25, 1899.) aNo Model.)

m: Nonm- PEYKRS co, PHOTO-LITNQ.. WASHINGTON. D. c,

UNITE STATES PATENT QFIFICE.

ROBERT F. DULL, OF BRIDGElVATER, VIRGINIA.

ACETYLEN E-GAS G EN ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,989, dated July 4, 1899.

Application filed April 25, 1899. Serial No. 714,424. (No model.)

To all 1077,0711, it may concern:

Beit known that 1, ROBERT F. DULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgewater, in the county of Rockingham and State ofVirginia, have invented a new and useful Acetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in generators for acetylene gas; and the primary object is to provide means for washing carbid residue or sediment out of the gas-pipe and to provide for the admission of water in large or small quantities to the generator or generators to secure the production of gas under the varying conditions which prevail in the practical service of generators of this type.

With these endsin view the invention consists in the novel combination of devices and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the inven tion, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in whiche V Figure l is a vertical sectional elevation of a generator embodying my present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation of a modified form of the generator.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate like and corresponding parts in each of the figures of the drawings.

The tank 5 of the gasometer is provided with a dished bottom 6, and said tank has two shells, which are arranged concentric with each other and are suitably united to the bottom. The inner shell of .the tank forms a water-chamber 8,-which serves as a seal to the return-bend of the gas-inlet pipe, and between the two shells of the tank is the sealchamber 7 in which is immersed the fioatable gas-bell 9. The liquid which I prefer to employ in the seal-chamber 7 is of a non-freezing nature-such, for instance, as oil or glycerine-and the seal of this character overcomes to a large extent any tendency of the apparatus to freeze during very cold weather, thus insuring'the successful operationof the apparatus under abnormal weather conditions.

The floatable gas-bell 9 has, its head provided with an extension-tube 10, arranged centrally with relation to the bell and adapted to receive the gas-pipes of the apparatus when the bell descends to the lowest limit of its travel in order to operate the stem by which the water-inlet valves are opened to admit water to the generator. This gas-bell is adapted to travel freely in a vertical direction within the liquid seal of the annular chamber 7 under the variations in the supply of gas within said bell, and to direct the travel of the hell I employ the guide-rods 11,

which are fixed to the tank 5 and which re ceive the eyes 12, that are fastened to the floatable bell.

The gas from the generator is conveyed to the gasometer and the water is conveyed from the gasometer-tank 5 to the generator by a single pipe 13, which is erected in a vertical position centrally within the tank 5. The

upper end of the pipe 13 is provided with a return-bend 14., and said part of the pipe extends above the level of the water in the chamber 8, the delivery end of the returnbend 14 terminating below the.water-level,.

so as to be sealed thereby. The lower end of the pipe 13 extends through the dished bottom Got the tank and terminates in an inclined lower length 15, which is connected to the generator 16. I prefer to equip my apparatus with two or more generators 16, as shown by Fig. 1, in order that the capacity of the apparatus 7 may be increased without necessitating frequent renewal of the carbidsupply in the generators, and unde'rthis adaptation of the invention the pipe 13 should be equipped with two or more inclined branches the chamber 8 ofthe gasometer, so as to be immersed in the water thereof. The valve 20 is provided with an operating-arm 22, which is arranged in a diiferent position to the operating-arm 23 of the other valve 21, and the two valve-arms are pivotally connected with a vertical stem or rod 24 in a manner to open the valves 20 21 successively or simultaneously, according to the extent of depression of the stem or. rod when acted on by the head of the iloatable bell. This stem or rod 24 is sustained in a vertical position within the chambenS of the gasometer-tank by means of one or more floats 25 of any suitable character; but in the drawings I have shown the rod provided with two floats which are submerged within the water ofthe chamber 8, so as to lie below the water-level therein. The upper end of the stem or rod extends above the water-level in the chamber 8 of the gasometer, and it is provided with a head 26, which is adapted to be acted on by the bell when it travels in a downward direction into the tank.

It will be noted that I employ a generator in which the increase in the volume of water is permitted to attack successive charges or layers of carbid for the generation of acetylene gas. It is well known to those skilled in the art that a generator charged with a fresh supply of active carbid requires the admission of very little water to secure chemical decomposition of the water and carbid to produce acetylene gas; but in the service of generators of this type the carbid by its a'fiinity for water is adapted to absorb moisture and become more or less inert, thereby requiring the admission at the last stages of operation previous to recharging the generator of a much larger volume of water in order to attack the partially-inert carbid to secure satisfactory not quickly generated on the downward travel of the bell the latter is adapted to move in a downward direction fora limited distance, thereby opening both valves 20 21 and permitting a comparatively large volume of water to flow to the generator in order to saturate and permeate the partially-inert mass of carbid, so as to secure the full benefit of the charge in the generator.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the gas is conveyed from the generator, or both of them, through the same pipe 13 to which the valves are attached that control the supply of water from the tank 5 Acetylene gas as it passes pipe, and as the lower length 15 of the pipe is inclined the sediment can readily be Washed from the pipe by the water, thus carrying the sediment back to the generator.

When the apparatus is first started in operation, I find it advisable to provide means for manually depressing the float-sustained valve stem or rod 24 in order that a proper quantity of water may be admitted by the valves and the pipe 13 to the generator for attacking the carbid therein to initially generate the proper quantity of gas to elevate the floatable bell. This end is accomplished by connecting an operating-cord 27 to the lower end of the valve-stem, and this cord passes through a guide 28, which is fixed to the bottom 6 of the tank, the cord being carried out of the gasometentank in any suitable way, so that its free end is readily accessible. It is evident that the attendant may'pull on the cordor chain 27 to depress the stem against the buoyancy of the float, and the valve or valves may thus be opened to permit water to pass to the generator.

The gas is conveyed from the bell of the gasometer through an outlet-pipe 29, which passes through the water of the chamber 8 and the bottom of the tank, said pipe having a horizontal branch whichextends outside of the tank for union with a service-pipe adapted to supply gas to the burners.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings Ihave represented a modified construction of the generator. The tank 30 of this generator is provided with a removable cover 31, which is fastened tightly to the tank by a suitable clamp or by binding-screws 32. W'ithin the chamber of the generator is fixed a vertical perforated tube 33, which is in vertical alinement with the discharge-outlet from the branch 15 of the pipe 13, so that the water will drip from the pipe directly into the tube 33. The Water is adapted to emerge from the tube and acoumulate in the chamber of the generator, so as to attack the carbid which is deposited in said generator around the perforated central tube therein.

It will be observed that the gas passes from the generator through the tube 13 and is discharged through the return-bend 14 below the water-line in the chamber 8. The gas is adapted to emerge in bubbles from the water of the chamber 8 and accumulate in the bell. By discharging the gas into the Water-bath and causing it to escape therefrom the heated gas is cooled by contact with the water, and

IIO

the gas is kept at a low temperature, so that any aqueous vapors thereof will not condense on the bell 9 by impingement of the gas against said bell, thus overcoming condensation of aqueous vapors on the bell which have a tendency to flow into the seal-chamber 7. In some types of apparatus the heated gas is discharged directly into the fioatable bell, so

that it will impinge against the bell and the aqueous vapors will condense thereon. This results in the water of condensation trickling along the inner surface of the bell, so as to accumulate in the seal of the chamber 7, and when the apparatus is exposed to very cold weather the water of condensation in the sealchamber is liable to freeze, thus restraining the floatable bell from moving freely and incapacitating the apparatus temporarily for service.

The operation is as follows: The generator is charged with carbid and connected with the pipe 13 within the tank 5. The operator pulls the cord or chain to depress the stem 24 and open one or both of the valves to admit water to the generator. On the release of the cord the float lifts the stem and closes the valve. The gas passes from the generator through the pipe 13 and the return -bend thereon, and as the gas rises through the water it accumulates in the bell to lift the latter. When. the apparatus is in service, the gas passes through the pipe 29 to the burners, and a reduction of the available gas-supply in the bell permits the latter to descend until its head strikes the upper end ofthe valvestem 24. The calcium carbid in the generating-chamber being in a fresh condition, the bell will depress the stem a limited distance to open one valve for the admission of a small quantity of Water to the generator for resuming the production of acetylene gas, which at once passes through the pipe 13 to the floatable bell to again lift the latter. The operation is continued automatically on the consum ption of the gas at the burners; but when the carbid becomes partly inert the bell will descend a greater distance before gas will be generated. Hence the rod or stem will operate both valves to admit a larger supply of wawater to the generator to attack and permeate the carbid therein.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim is- 1. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with a gasometer-tank, a'generator, and a pipe leading from said generator to said tank, of a float-sustained stem arranged Within the tank, and independent valves connected to said pipe and operably connected with said stem to be operated successively thereby, substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination of a gasometer-tank, a generator, a pipe having an inclined length connected to said generator and provided at its upper end with a return-bend Which is immersed in the water of said tank, a stem disposed Within the tank in the path of the floatable bell and having a float adapted to normally sustain said stem in a raised position, and valves attached to the pipe and having arms connected to the stem to be operated successively there by, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with a tank, a generator and a pipe connecting said tank and generator, of a stem provided with a float which is submerged in the water of the tank, valves attached to the pipeand having arms connected with the stem, and an operating-cord attached to the stem and guided through the tank, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT F. DULL] WVitnesses:

JOHN H. SIGeERs, ROBT. E. CRUMP. 

